Authority Zero
Authority Zero is a punk rock band from Mesa, Arizona. The band's style is rooted in reggae and skate punk, with Bad Religion, Pennywise, and Sublime cited as heavy influences. There is an obvious Spanish/Portuguese influence in the band's music as well. History Authority Zero was started in 1994 when Bill Marcks met Jason DeVore at Westwood High School. Marcks didn't actually meet DeVore until the summer of 1995, until then Authority Zero consisted of two guitarists (Marcks & Jerry Douglas) and a drummer J.W. Gordon, all from Westwood. This trio put a few songs together without lyrics or basslines. When that summer rolled around, Douglas was expecting the yearly visit of his friend Jason DeVore, from Wyoming. Douglas introduced his long time friend and Marcks jokingly asked if he wanted to be their singer, soon after, it became more than just a joke. Marcks was impressed with DeVore's ability to "write catchy songs in fifteen minutes with really sticky hooks". The two quickly enlisted Jeremy Wood on bass. His experience with lead guitar and musical theory separated his bass playing from others'. Not just a "follow along," his baselines were independent and yet fluid with the music. (Wood actually taught Marcks & Douglas how to play guitar). However, because of Gordon's commitment to the Air Force, his position as drummer soon had to be replaced. Fellow classmate, skateboarder, and drummer Daniel Garcia fit this empty stool like a missing puzzle piece. He brought a new charge and tempo that evolved Authority Zero's music into a faster, more complex, punk rock style. Eventually, however, differences and family obligations led to Garcia's exit from the group. Marcks, Douglas, DeVore, and Wood finally came upon Los Angeles native Jim Wilcox formerly of Welter/The New Militia who's tragic events ended the group, and he fittingly completed the Authority Zero's lineup. Later Douglas also left the group and joined the Air Force. After releasing a local EP that sold very well, Authority Zero released their debut album A Passage In Time in 2002 on Lava Records. The album featured a blend of genres including punk rock and reggae, with obvious Spanish and Portuguese influences. A Passage In Time included the hits "One More Minute" and "Over Seasons". The success of A Passage In Time propelled the band into new popularity. Authority Zero appeared on many tours, such as Warped Tour, the No Use for a Name/The Starting Line tour, and Sum 41's "Sum on Your Face". The band has also toured with the likes of Everclear, Guttermouth and H2O. In 2004, Authority Zero released Andiamó, again on Lava Records. "Andiamó" means literally "We go" in Italian, but can also be read as "And I am Zero", the title of their live DVD released following Andiamó. The album again featured a blend of genres and Spanish/Portuguese influences. Andiamó is somewhat politically charged, evident in the songs "Revolution", "A Thousand Years of War", and the cover of the song "Mexican Radio", originally written by Wall of Voodoo (the version that appears on Andiamó has lyric changes in order to make a statement against the 2003 invasion of Iraq). In the summer of 2006, Authority Zero released a live acoustic compilation album titled Rhythm and Booze on Suburban Noize Records. The band's next album, entitled 12:34 was released on January 30, 2007. The track "Courage" was released as a single. The band recently toured with Rehab on the "Lack of Luxury" 2007 tour. On December 30th, 2008 Bill Marcks left the band to spend more time with his family. Through thorough auditions, the band picked up Zach Vogel on guitar. Authority Zero recently released its fourth studio album titled "Stories of Survival" on June 22, 2010. Band Members Current Lineup *Jason DeVore - Lead Vocals *Zach Vogel - Guitar *Jim Wilcox - Drums *Jeremy Wood - Bass Former Members *Dean "DJ" Farmer - Bass and Backing Vocals *Jerry Douglas - Guitar and Backing Vocals *Bill Marcks - Guitar and Backing Vocals Discography Studio albums Appearances in Other Media *The song "A Passage in Time" appeared on the video game Project Gotham Racing 2 *The song "A Passage in Time" has been professional wrestler Takeshi Rikio's theme song since 2005. *The song "Everyday" appeared on the video game Tony Hawk's Underground. *The song "Revolution" appeared on Fat Wreck Chords Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 compilation and in the game MX vs. ATV Unleashed. *A demo version of the song "Solitude" appeared on the 2003 Vans Warped Tour Compilation. *The songs "12:34" and "On Edge" appeared on the video game MX vs. ATV Untamed. *The song "La Surf" appeared in the movie "Grind" *The song "No Regrets" appeared on the "Supporting Radical Habits, vol 2" CD. *"No Regrets" is featured as one of the 20 songs of free downloadable content on Rock Band 2. *The song "Sirens" appears in the Athertons' section in the mountain bike film New World Disorder 9. *The songs "Taking on the World" and "Madman" are featured in Season 1 of the mountain bike show Stund. *An acoustic version of the song "Big Bad World" appears on "The Edge 103.9 - Acoustic Live and Rare 2008" "Big Bad World" is a previously unreleased song. External links * Authority Zero at purevolume.com * Official Website Category:Bands LTJ have played with Category:Links to Wikipedia